SUMMER 18. July/August INSIDE: Art Class with Trisha, 1:00 3:30 pm Haiti Mission Trip Rummage Sale Day 1: 4pm-7pm. Day 2: 8am-5pm

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1 SUMMER 18 July/August July 2 (Mon) July 4 (Wed) July 7 (Sat) July 13 (Fri) July 14 (Sat) July 21 (Sat) July 29 (Sun) Aug 6 (Mon) Aug 18 (Sat) August 18th 27th Staff 11:00 am Independence Day Art Class with Trisha, 1:00 3:30 pm Haiti Mission Trip Rummage Sale Day 1: 4pm-7pm Haiti Mission Trip Rummage Sale Day 2: 8am-5pm Serving Day 11:00 am Messy Sunday Staff 11:00 am Serving Day 11:00 am Haiti Mission Trip Fly Dates INSIDE: Monthly Highlights Pg. 2 What s Happening Pg. 3 Joyful Moments Pg. 4 People s Journal Dula Baker Pg. 5-6 Interesting Pieces Pg. 7 *************Weekly Events************** Walking Group Men s Coffee 10:00 am Lay Leader Joanne Dobrinski Pg. 8 Pastor s Note Pg Calendar Pg For details, contact the church office Mon-Thurs to 2pm by phone or 1 Notes, Articles, and Updates to The Messenger: to church@taborheightschurch.org 6161 SE STARK ST. PORTLAND OREGON 97215

2 Guest Family from Haiti, Pastor Evens, his wife Karina, and their daughters Abby and Hannah, were such a blessing to have with us. Thank you to the Church Family of THUMC, and thanks to our Almighty Father! May the Lord continue to bless, guide, and keep us in his mighty hands! 2

3 To Jim Buchanan, Thank you for volunteering for our Messenger Team!! Hip, Hip, Hooray! Draw/Paint Class with Trisha, July 1:00pm Join Trisha for this fun class. It is $20/person, no supplies to bring. She provides everything, even the canvas we take our masterpieces home on!! Haiti Mission Rummage Sale, July 13 & 14 Wow!! The Rummage Sale to support our Mission Team to Haiti is going to be a huge event! Come and support the team and the mission! Lay Development Workshop Come and join the Columbia District Lay Development Team as they delve into the art of one-on-one conversations *July 14th, Trinity UMC, 10 am 3915 SE Steele St, Portland *August 5th, West Portland UMC, 10 am 4729 SW Taylor s Ferry Rd, Portland Serving Saturday, July 21 & August 11:00 am It s that time of the month, once again! Come and let s spiffy up our sanctuary, inside and out!! See you there! Go Family Vacation, July 22-Aug 5 Pastor John, Mia, Grace, and Gloria will be in and out of THUMC while on their family vacation. In times of prayer and need, you can call our Lay Leader Joanne Dobrinski or any of our Care Team members. Game Night, July 28 & August 25 Game Nights will be held the 4th Saturday of the month, in the Annex downstairs. See Joanne Buck or Gloria Lambert for more info about potluck themes. Messy Sunday, July am An opportunity to explore how messy-ness is good for the soul!! Go to page 7 for more information!! VOLUNTEER NEEDED EVERY SUNDAY We are needing someone to take pictures during worship services and other activities in the event our chief photographer, Christine Campbell, is unavailable. Please let anyone on the Messenger Team know if you would like to help out! Peace Pole & Labyrinth Update Check out the Labyrinth. Kudos to Gerry and his thought that became a beautiful peace for our church! 3

4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again rejoice! Philippians 4:4 Your Celebrations are important for us to recognize with our family in Christ: Please do not be reluctant to let us know if yours is missing on the monthly edition of Messenger by sending a note to: church@taborheightschurch.org Birthdays in July Evie Brim, 6 Anthony Benedetti-White, 7 Bonnie Marks, 10 Ariya Khamvongsa, 17 Bobby Rouse, 20 Margaret Klettke, 27 Jan Losinger, 31 Wedding Anniversaries Merle & Becky Marks, July 21 Wally & Lois Lee, August Birthdays in August Marion Gaylord Fornora, 1 Sean Jr. Tinio, 1 Soleil Hoverkamp, 3 Bell Lehr Jr., 11 Marvin Doering, 27 Dula Baker, 28 As written by Joanne Mattson Thank you all for the phone calls, cards, and visits to me in my new home. It has been a long and ardent year and a half, but am comfortable and content where I am. My caregivers are wonderful women. I pray for you all regularly. 4

5 Dula Baker On August 28,1939, Dula was born at home on a farm near Sinton in South Texas. She considers herself a "middle child" since 2 siblings preceded her birth and twins and a baby brother later followed. At an early age, she was allowed to have her own garden space within the family garden and later took over areas of the front yard where she built benches under the trees and planted a cactus garden with cacti gleaned from the pasture. She marvels that she was never threatened by rattlesnakes. Her dad let her dig up a 3-foot mesquite tree and transplant it in the yard. She lovingly built a brick wall around it for protection and faithfully watered it. It died -- and her dad explained about taproots, one of the first science lessons he taught her. A hurricane hit on her 2nd birthday and the family spent the night in the car because their house flooded. The following summer (before hurricane season), the house was moved to higher ground and Dula's first memory is watching her dad and uncle raise the tower of the new windmill using ropes and the tractor. Her second memory is of the first time she drove a car. She had gone to town with her dad and on the way home, they saw some of their cattle along the Farm to Market highway near the dirt road that led to their home. She may have been 3, almost 4, still short enough that she had to stand tall on the seat so she could see over the steering wheel, and she vividly remembers her dad pulling out the "choke" so the car would creep along and telling her "Keep the car on the road" as he herded the cattle along the FM and into the ditch of their road. The move of the house meant the end of electricity. Having to pay to run a line to their house was too costly; though the depression was supposedly over, WW II had begun. Their indoor plumbing consisted of a faucet with cold running water; their bathtub was a large laundry tub and they had an "outdoor johnny" at the far end of the backyard. She remembers her mom cleaning soot from the globes of the kerosene lamps. She and her older siblings studied under lamplight until she was in the second grade and they had electricity. Her mom got a Maytag wringer washing machine, a refrigerator, and a radio. A few years later, their house was remodeled and a new kitchen and a bathroom were added, AND they got a party-line telephone! Living on a farm entailed a lot of hard work, no dallying around. In the spring after coming home from school, the children changed into work clothes and "chopped cotton" or maize, clearing grass and weeds from the field, until suppertime. After eating and cleaning the dining room and kitchen, they studied until bath- and bedtime. Summers were spent picking cotton, earning 10 cents (later 50 cents) for every 100 pounds. Every morning the children had to fix their beds and straighten their rooms before breakfast, then the girls washed/dried breakfast dishes and swept the dining room and kitchen floors as the boys did outside chores. Saturday mornings, the whole house was cleaned, bed linens changed, and hair was shampooed. Saturday afternoons they went into town to the county library and for groceries; sometimes they went to a movie afterwards. Sunday morning always meant and church, with MYF in the evenings (except in summer). Summer Sunday afternoons were spent at a local 5 lake where all 6 children were taught to swim. Mondays were wash days and most of the laundry was hung on the lines before the school bus came, often resulting in the kids running the 1/8-mile to where the bus stopped.

6 Dula Baker (continued) Summer vacation, if they had one, was a trip to some part of Texas. Dula loved Texas history in the 7th grade because she had seen so many of the places; at that time, very few families traveled out of the county (other than going to Corpus Christi to shop). There was time to play when chores were done and field work was finished; reading during rest time or before bedtime was encouraged. Her first 2 years of school were in a 1-room schoolhouse with folding doors to separate 1-3 grades from 4-7. When the school closed, the farm kids were sent to the Sinton schools. After Dula graduated from high school, she attended Southwest Texas State Teachers College where she had a double major in elementary education and speech therapy. (She later studied at the University of Hawaii and the University of Louisville.) Following graduation, she worked as a speech therapist in the Port Arthur ISD for 4 years. She married John, a chemical engineer with DuPont Chemical Company, in 1962 and they moved to Beaumont, where 3 of their 5 children were born and their first child is buried. In 1968 they relocated to Pampa (in the Panhandle) where their only son was born; 2 years later they relocated to Louisville, KY, where their last child was born. Several years later, John decided to quit his job and build his own business. This was during the Reagan years, which were not kind to small businesses; John's joined the many that went under. After years of struggle and now having an empty nest, she and John returned to Texas in 1988 and became managers with La Quinta Inns. In 1995 Dula was hired by the San Angelo ISD where she worked as a speech pathologist for 9 years. John had been diagnosed with Progressive SupraNuclear Palsy and his condition had drastically worsened by At the urging of her youngest daughter whose family was living in Poteau, OK, and another daughter who soon moved there, they moved to Oklahoma so Dula would have help with John's care; he died less than 3 months later. Within 3 years' time, both daughters and families had moved out-of-state and Dula was again urged to move close to one of her children. She chose Portland (and oldest daughter) because the northwest reminded her of England, a country she had visited many times; fortunately, it was a good decision as each of her other 3 children have since moved at least twice (1 is in Georgia, 2 in California). Besides Dula's love of gardening, she loves to travel. Three years ago she drove across the US (7887 miles) and recently returned from a drive to Phoenix to visit a granddaughter and 2 great-grandsons. Later this summer she will do a house exchange with a family in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Next summer, all of her family (4 children and spouses, 5 grandchildren and one's spouse, and 2 great-grandsons) are planning to visit HER for her 80th birthday celebration. -- Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and that last fish has been caught will we realize that we can't eat money. 6 - Cree Proverb

7 InTerEstiNg PIECES Haiti Mission Trip by Mia Park Tabor Heights UMC will be sending a mission group consisting of Joanne Buck, Nick Morrell, and myself. We will be leaving for Haiti on August 18 and returning on August 27. Most of our time will be invested in volunteer work throughout the local community, church, elementary school and building project of La Victoire, Haiti. We will also be exploring ways that our congregation can partner with Sustainable Action International and Director/Pastor Evens Paul. Our fundraising amount intended for this trip is $6, and so far we have raised almost $4, , with your help. Please keep the mission trip, its team, and all of their fundraising efforts in your prayers! Messy Church by Pastor John Messy Church is a way of being a church for families involving fun and their foundational values are (1) Christ Centered, (2)Hospitality, (3) Creativity, (4) Celebration, and (5) All-Ages Together. We have an opportunity this summer to host a morning worship focused on Messy Church principles with a 2-hour workshop in the afternoon on July 29th. This workshop will explore how the ministry of Messy Church creates space and time for intergenerational families to have fun and build relationships with others and God. The worship and workshop will be lead by Rev. Roberta J. Egli (pastor at Trinity UMC in Eugene), to share her story of Messy Church since its start in Mount Tabor Romanian Pentecostal Church We, on the Messenger Team, thought it would be a great time to introduce the newest church to join our team of JESUS CHRIST, here at THUMC! MTRPC first opened their doors to their members on June 10th. Pastor Yonell, which is John in Romanian, leads this church and one of the first things you will notice about him is how very contagious his smile is!! The MTRPC is much like our brothers and sisters of God s Grace in the way that they love food and music!! They come to church on Sundays, 9 am and 6 pm. Welcome to MTRPC and its parishioners! May God continue to bless and guide us all!! Cool fact: MTPRC was once located in Tabor, Romania! Tabor Heights United Methodist Church 6161 SE Stark St. Portland OR

8 Greetings all. FROM YOUR LAY LEADER Joanne Dobrinski Our Intern Mi Kyung Park, known to us as Mia, ended her internship with us June 30. It has been so marvelous to watch her lead and grow as she has worked in our congregation. She has expanded her horizons by starting new small groups, working in the office, directing the Messenger production, continuing her work with the children, preaching, being worship leader, plus much more behind the scenes work. She will be taking a class this summer until leaving on the Haiti mission trip August 18. Mia will return to Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary September 2 for the next semester, returning mid-december. Her final semester begins in January 2019 and will be taken on-line. Her plan is to graduate in May with a Master of Divinity degree. Mia will also begin the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program at Legacy Emanuel Hospital January 7, This program is an interfaith professional education for ministry to bring theological students and ministers into supervised encounter with persons in crisis. From intense involvement with persons in need and the feedback from peers and teachers, students develop new awareness of themselves as persons and of the needs of those to whom they minister. They gain a new understanding of ministry and develop skills in interpersonal and interprofessional relationships. This training will take the place of a second internship. Pastor Marshall Wattman-Turner took this course while he was pastor at Tabor Heights. It is often recommended by the District Committee on Ministry while candidates like Mia are in the process of studying for ordination. We feel blessed to have had Mia as our Intern and continue to support her on her journey as she follows God s call for her. I ask you to continue to keep Mia, John, Grace, and Gloria in your prayers. The Site Committee, consisting of Chair Gerry, Joanne D., Pete, Kearsey, and Linda, has been the overseer of Mia s internship, and will disband. However, the Prayer Team continues through her process as she heads for ordination. Wishing you all a great summer time! 8

9 From the Pastor When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing. Then Jesus asked, What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches. <Luke 13:17-19> It is interesting that the parable of the Mustard Seed was shared right after Jesus healed a woman on a Sabbath day. Jesus called her forward and said to her, Woman, you are set free from your infirmity. Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. However, there was a leader in charge of the synagogue who was indignant and accused Jesus that he had healed the woman on the Sabbath day. What if our world were like a place where Jesus healed a woman on a Sabbath day? There would be a lot of unnecessary confusions, contrasts, and even conflicts. Where there are still wonderful presence and miracles of our Lord Christ, there are also some discouragements, challenges, and oppositions. Doesn t that represent where the social and cultural region we re living in and the reactions from our governing administration we re experiencing today: Why Immigrant Children Are Separated from Parents at Border, What Kennedy's retirement could mean for the Supreme Court and etc.? Therefore, it is very critical for us that we Christians have to respond to the very basic and fundamental question from Jesus in this passage, asking What is the kingdom of God like? In other words, we must have a counter-cultural, counter-social, and counter-earthly perspective of the kingdom of God. With this unique lens, we d rather vision ourselves of who we are in our midst of many confusions, contrasts, and even conflicts. 9

10 From the Pastor continued Our Haiti mission team (Joanne Buck, Mia Park, Nicolas Morrell) will serve an unknown region and group of people during their 10 day summer trip to Haiti. Many of us have been questioning how the team will cover the whole trip cost, how the team will serve there, and how the team will communicate without knowing Creole or French. More so, the team has to think of why it is not for the homeless in our downtown, not for our local Habitat humanity, not for a foodbank in our city. What is the kingdom of God like? What shall we compare it to today? Is it like a mustard seed in Jesus parable that we take and plant in our ministry and mission? If it will grow and become a tree and the birds perch in its branches, then what are our church and her members like? Shall we reflect together in our prayers what the kingdom of God is like with a mustard seed you hope to take and plant here at Tabor Heights? Shall we imagine together in our hope that we will grow and become a beacon of the world where ALL God s Children will find the love of Christ Jesus like the birds perched in the tree? Many blessings, Pastor John 10

11 JULY2018 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Independence Day Office is closed Staff Meeting 11am Art Class with Trisha 1-3:30pm Mens coffee 10am Haiti Mission Rummage Sale 8-5pm Haiti Mission Rummage Sale 4-7pm Men s coffee 10am Serving Day 11am Mens coffee 10am Game Night, 6pm , led by Messy Church 11

12 AUGUST2018 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Staff meeting 11am Mens coffee 10am Men s coffee 10am Haiti Mission Team fly date Serving Day 11am Mens coffee 10am Game Night 6pm Haiti Mission Team returns 12